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An excellent art project to start the new school year! This is a simple way for children to learn the art of printmaking using everyday art tools.

Goals:

To learn about printmaking

To develop fine motor skills

To encourage creativity

Before You Start:
You will need a small foam paint roller and clear acrylic sheets in small 6" squares. Keep in mind that you might have to use a sturdy cardboard backing if using clear plastic sheets for easier handling. You will also need black paint, heavyweight paper cut into 6" squares, cotton swabs, small wooden sticks and other tools you might have on hand for scribbling in the paint. Be sure to have paint smocks for the children to wear.

Let's Get Started!
Step 1.
Prepare your work area by laying down old newspapers or butcher paper.

Step 2.
Three- and four-year-olds may require that you apply a thin layer of paint to the clear acrylic sheets using the paint roller (brayer in printmaking). (Older children may not require this step.)

Step 3.
Lay out a number of different tools for the children to scribble with in the paint.

Step 4.
Give each child a plastic sheet or a piece of clear acrylic with a thin layer of black paint (ink in printmaking) on it. Let the children scribble as much as they like but make sure the children do not remove all the paint.

Step 5.
Take the piece of paper and let the children press it down on the clear acrylic. Then, remove the paper.

Step 6.
The child will have a print of what they drew on the paper.

Furthermore:
Have the children experiment with different types of tools to create more prints.